So I had this crazy dream the other night…

I was at Albany City Hall at a City Planning Meeting. It was in City Hall chambers but the lights were dimmed to save energy. It was presided over by this 85 year old man, the youngest of the five men on the board had to be no less than 70.

It was an insane proposal they were having a public hearing on – a fireworks factory under 787 between Steamboat Square Towers and the railroad tracks where tanker cars with tens of thousands gallons of gasoline, ethanol and hazardous chemicals regularly sit. Clough Harbour was representing the developer, emphasizing that this would be a modern fireworks factory, so safe that nobody should have any worries. Plus it would be making fireworks in America and employing hundreds of local people many from the local neighborhood.

I and maybe two other people, none from the neighborhood were testifying that this was a truly bad idea – what would happen if this fireworks factory were to explode at rush hour under this major highway. Would it demolish the towers that people were sleeping in late one night? What would happen if the plant caught fire and there was a gasoline tanker caught on fire. I spoke for two minutes, constantly being interrupted by the Planning Board chairman saying, I’m a little hard of hearing please speak up.

After I got done with my testimony, the planning board chairman asked the representative from Clough Harbour, some of these youngsters are suggesting your plant might not be safe. Are you sure? The developer said, yes of course, emphasizing that it was state of the art and engineers had modeled all risks. Plus don’t forget the tax revenue and jobs. And it’s smart reuse of the land under 787. The planning board chairman said, OK, so the engineers of the developer says it’s safe as does city planning staff. And they are the experts so it must be safe. Let’s now have a vote to approve this important economic development project for the future of our city. There was a bright flash and I woke up, it had just been a bad dream.